Electric fence charger



March 22, 1949. KNEISLEY v 2,465,234

ELECTRIC FENCE CHARGER Filed May 16, 1945 girl Er Patented Mar. 22, 1949 ELECTRIC FENCE CHARGER Richard F. Kneisley, Toledo, Ohio, assignor to Kneisley Electric Company, Toledo, Ohio, a

partnership Application May 16, 1945, Serial No. 594,023

4 Claims.

This application relates to an electric fence charger and similar uses where a current, preferably a high tension current, may be sent through a wire intermittently, the time when the circuit is closed being preferably short compared to the time in which it is open.

A control for charging an electric fence is old wherein the normally insulated wire of the fence is connected at one end to a high tension coil, the other end of which is grounded, and a primary relatively low tension coil is employed for inducing high tension in the first said coil at spaced intervals. This invention relates primarily to a device for timing the intermittent current through such a primary coil, although the arrangement disclosed might be utilized to some extent for other purposes.

An object of the invention is to provide a timer which will close a circuit and immediately open the circuit and keep it open for a controllable length of time and then again close the circuit very briefly. A further object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the character described which is very simple and cheap in construction, not liable to getting out of order during use and operating with reliability during use. Further details and minor objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 is an elevation of the same apparatus as viewed from the right of Figure 1. Figure 3 is an isometric view of a transformer core employed in the apparatus with the windings indicated diagrammatically. Figure 4 is a detail vertical section on the line 44 of Figure 2. Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 but showing the positions of the .parts after the coils are energized. Figure 6 is a detail sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1. Figure 7 is a view of the apparatus enclosed in a casing. Figure 8 is a detail of contact arrangement. Figure 9 is a wiring diagram. Figure 10 shows a spring for swinging the transformer coils.

The apparatus disclosed in Figure 1 comprises a base II! on which there is mounted a yoke II having two upright arms I2 and I3 upon which the operating mechanism is mounted. In arm I2 there is mounted a pivot pin I5 which is insulated from arm I2 by insulation I6. The pivot pin is held in fixed position by nuts IT. The bearing portion I8 of the pin projects inwardly from the arm I2 and has mounted thereon a triangular bracket IS. A laminated iron core for a transformer has bolts 2| there through adjacent its bottom. The bolts ZI are passed through but are insulated from bracket!!! by insulation 22, the heads 23 of the bolts holding the bracket and insulation in place against the core. On the other side of the core a similar triangular bracket Z l is held against the core by nuts 25. The upper end of bracket 24 is provided with a ball race 26 which forms a bearing with ball race 21 on a bolt 28, which is fixed in position on arm I3 by means of nuts 29.

The primary winding 30 of the transformer coil, as indicated diagrammatically in Figure 3, has one end 3| connected to bracket I9 which is in electrical contact with bearing pin I5. A wire 32 connects the bearing pin with a battery 33, as indicated in Figure 9, the battery not being shown in the other figures. The other end of the primary coil is grounded to the core, as indicated diagrammatically at 34. The other side of the battery, as indicated in Figure 9, is connected to a wire 35 which leads to a condenser 36, the other end of the condenser being grounded to the yoke through lead wire 31.

The secondary winding 38 has one end grounded to the core at 39 and the other end 40 is connected to a contact 4 I, as shown in detail Figure 8. Contact H is carried by a bracket 42 held in position by one of the bolts 2|. When in the position shown in Figure 1, contact 4| engages a conductive spiral spring 43 carried by, but insulated from, casing 44, and connected by a lead wire 5 to a fence wire or other object which is to be intermittently charged with high tension.

iounted on the lower member of yoke I I there is a plate 48 held in place by screws 49, but insulated by insulation 59 from the yoke and base. Lead wire SI leads from the battery in parallel with lead 35 to plate 48. One end of plate 48 is turned up and carries a contact member 52.

A spring plate 53, which may be of phosphor ronze, is attached at its upper end 54 to one side of the core. A stop member 55 is attached to the core, as shown in Figure 6 by one of the bolts 2| and nuts 25. The stop member is preferably made of soft metal which may be bent to adjust the relation of its end 5'6 to the core 20. The upper end of .plate 53 is grounded to, or in electric contact with, core 20 at 51.

The core 20 is provided with an air gap at 58. The lower end of plate 53 carries a contact screw 59 which may be adjustable if desired. Armature Ell is attached to spring plate 53.

The operation of the apparatus will be fairly evident from the foregoing description. However, a brief summary of the operation is as follows:

With the apparatus connected up as indicated in Figure 9 and in the position in which it is shown in Figure 1, connections are made through contacts 52 and 59 so that the primary coil is energized and in turn induces a charge in the secondary coil. Due to air gap 58, armature 60 is attracted to the core 20. This pulls the core against the armature plate since the lower contact 59 rests against rigid contact 52 and the armature can not move while the core is pivoted. This moves the core to the position in which it is shown in full lines in Figure 5. Since the magnetic action attracting armature BB is quite powerful, the movement of the core against the armature is rapid and the momentum thus acquired by the core swings it on to the position in which it is shown in dotted lines in Figure 5. As the momentum is expended the swing of the core will cease and it will return under the influenc of gravity to the position in which it is shown in Figures 1 and 4, and the operation will be repeated.

For this operation it will be readily understood that the center of gravity of the transformer and its carrier and the parts attached thereto will be slightly below the pivot upon which the carrier swings. The weight of the carrier and parts mounted thereon above the pivotal line slows up the movement of the carrier so that, by mounting the carrier with the center of gravity not far below the pivotal point, the swinging action of the carrier may be slowed up to give a relatively brief energizing contact and a relatively long interval between contacts. The operation, of course, can be modified also by the adjustment of the stop 56 so as to adjust the travel of the core to reach the armature before contact is broken. The apparatus is preferably adjusted so that the contact as shown in Figure 1 will occur before the center of gravity of the carrier and parts mounted thereon is directly beneath the axis of the pivot upon which the carrier is mounted. This is to insure that, when the circuits are otherwise closed as shown in Figure 9, contacts 59 and 52 will be together except when separated by timed swinging action of the carrier and parts mounted thereon.

The degree to which the center of gravity will be to the right of the axis of oscillation when contact is made between 59 and 52 can be adjusted by adjustment of contact 59.

Instead of relying upon gravity to bias the carrier in the direction to close the contacts, a spring might be employed, and in that case the apparatus might be made to operate in any position. In Figure 10, a coil spring 46 is indicated for this purpose.

While the apparatus is particularly designed for an electric fence, where very brief energizin with high tension current is desired, the principle of operation may be employed for other purposes where there is a similar desire for intermittent closing of a circuit with the circuit open the major part of the time. Also, while a transformer is employed in the apparatus as shown to constitute electric magnet for operating the apparatus, it will be readily understood that where a change in voltage of the initial current is not needed or desired, a simple electromagnet of any desired and suitable construction could be substituted for the transformer. Also, details of the construction of the various parts and of the connections therebetween may obviously be varied within the scope of the appended claims while obtaining the advantages of the invention disclosed herein.

What I claim is:

1. A transformer comprising a primary coil and a secondary coil and mounted to turn about a pivotal axis transverse the axes of the coils, a. switch closed and opened by movement of the transformer about said pivotal axis and controlling the energizing of the transformer, means continuously urgin the transformer in switch closing direction, and means utilizing the magnetic force of an energized coil of the transformer to swing the transformer in switch-opening direction, whereby the switch is a long interval periodic switch the interval of which is timed by the relation of the weight of the transformer to said constantly urging means.

2. In combination, a transformer comprising a primary coil and a secondary coil and mounted to turn about a pivotal axis transverse of the plane of the axes of said coils, an armature mounted on the transformer and movable a limited distance to and from the end of one of said coils, means normally holding the armature, to the limit of its movement away from coil, the coil, when energized, exerting magnetic force to urge armature and coil together, a contact carried with the armature, means continuously urging the transformer to turn about its pivot in the direction in which the armature follows the coil, a stationary contact in the path of the first said contact as it moves under said continuous urging, and means energizing the transformer when the said contacts are brought together, whereby the momentum of the transformer when moved by the magnetic force accompanying its energizing opens the energizing switch, and. said continuous urge recloses the switch after a predetermined interval.

3. In combination, a transformer comprising a. primary coil and a secondary coil and mounted to turn about a substantially horizontal pivotal axis transverse the plane of the axes of the coils, an armature carried by a strip transverse the axes of the coils and fixed to the transformer at one end, resilient means urging the strip to carry the armature a limited distance from the coil, a contact on the other end of the strip, the center of gravity of the transformer and parts mounted therewith being eccentric of said pivotal axis, a fixed contact in the path of the strip-carried contact when the armature is turned under the influence of gravity in a direction to move the armature after the coil, and means energizing said transformer when said contacts are together, whereby the pivoted transformer acts as a timing pendulum for its own energizing switch.

4. In combination, a transformer comprising a primary coil, a secondary coil, a core magnetized by the coils, a carrier for coils and core mounted for swingin movement about an axis, an armature mounted on the carrier adjacent a magnetic face of the core, the core and armature being mounted on the carrier for limited relative movement to vary the distance between the armature and said magnetic face in a direction substantially tangential to a circle about said axis, means constantly urging the carrier to turn about said axis in a direction to make the armature follow said face, means constantly urging the armature and magnetic face apart to the extent of said limit, a contact in fixed relation to the armature, a fixed contact in the path of the first said contact as the carrier turns on its axis, and means energiz- 5 6 ing the primary coil of the transformer when the said contacts are together and deenergizing, it REFERENCES CITED when the contacts separate, the sum of said con- The following references are of record in the stantly urging means being sufficiently less than fil O t patent? the magnetic attraction exerted on the armature 5 rwhen the contacts are together so that the parts UNITED STATES PATENTQ carrying the magnetic face move towards the Number Name ate armature, when the contacts are together, to the 21 Orr Sept. 11, 1906 extent of said limit, and then, by momentum, 1,764,819 Anderson J1me 1930 carry the armature with them to separate said 10 9,856 Lorenz Jan. 28, 1941 contacts. 2, 94,344 Nunn Aug. 25, 1942 RICHARD KNE L 2,325,249 Jorgenson July 27, 1943 

